Zaporizhia marriage agency

Khortytsia Island

ZA "must see" is Khortytsia Island, the historic home of the Cossacks. The island is a nature reserve but also has many attractions associated with Cossack history. We would recommend the museum and Cossack horse show in particular. There is also a replica of a traditional Cossack fort which will take you in far past and impress with customs of our ancestors.

The island of Khortytsia, in the Dnieper, was headquarters (sich) of the Zaporizhia Cossacks from the 16th to 18th cent. (The word Zaporizhia means "beyond the rapids", i.e., of the Dnieper.) For nearly three centuries the Zaporizhia Cossacks served as the rallying point for Ukrainian struggles against social, national, and religious oppression

History

After the union of Poland and Lithuania in 1569, Ukraine came under Polish rule; but the Poles were too weak to defend it from frequent devastating Tatar raids. The need for self-defence led at the end of the 15th cent. to the rise of the Ukrainian Cossacks, who by the mid-16th cent. had formed a state, organized along republican lines and ruled by a hetman, along the lower and middle Dnieper. At its height it occupied most of South Ukraine except the Black Sea littoral, a possession of the Crimean khans. Although they formally recognized the sovereignty of the Polish kings, the Cossacks, for all intents and purposes, enjoyed complete political independence.

Zaporizhia Cossacks

Glorious history of Zaporizhia Cossacks is exciting minds of many artists living nowadays and even centuries ago. The most famous picture by Russian artist Repin "The Zaporozhian Cossacks Writing a Letter to the Sultan of Turkey" took it's plot from the real story, which makes many generations feel pride and smile!

"Taras Bulba" movie by Russian director Bortko was shot on the very Island Khortitsa, cause this land is saturated with heroism and variety of wonderful corageous stories and beauty of national art and music!

Even nowadays you can get into reality of old times, visiting the world-known Cossack Horse Theatre on the Khortitsa Island with replica of real fortress where you can easily feel yourself a real Cossack! And when you get acquainted with city and it's history for the first time you will have a part of Ukraine in your heart forever, you will be in Love!

Culture

The residential areas of Zaporizhia are very spacious with plenty of light and greenery, and the streets that cross Lenin Avenue - the longest in Europe- slope down towards the Dnieper River. The town stretches out for over 30 kilometers along the river, and along its width the new residential districts extend for 25 kilometers.

The city itself has several museums and theatres as well as a permanent circus that is visited by circus troops from around the world.

Eating out is a pleasure and you can choose between a snack at a curbside cafe for a few dollars or eat in a smarter restaurant.

Our(Ukrainian) cooking is good quality, cheap and plentiful. There is Japanese or Italian cuisine as well as McDonalds if that is your preference. One of the most original eating places is the floating restaurant moored on the Dnieper river next to The Embankment.

Leisure time

You can cruise whilst you eat, but if not there is still live entertainment and a small dance floor to augment the eating experience.

The landscape, the Cossacks live horse show, the people, the hospitality, the genuine way of having fun, the spirit of the city, the romantic atomosphere next to the river will become unforgettable for you.

The landscape, the Cossacks live horse show, the people, the hospitality, the genuine way of having fun, the spirit of the city, the romantic atomosphere next to the river will become unforgettable for you.

Transportation

Railways, highways, airlines and water-ways connect Zaporizhia with Moscow, Kyiv, Kharkiv, Poltava, Simferopol and many other cities and towns in our country. Just beyond the borders of the town to the South, you can find the vast Kakhovsky Reservoir, which is often called a sea, and the Sea of Azov - a very popular health-resort area - lies about 150-200 kilometers further towards the South. Kakhovsky Reservoir finally flows into the Black Sea close to Odesa, one of Ukraine's major ports. You can travel all of the way from Kyiv to Odesa by boat on the Ukrainian Waterways.

Most people will fly into either Zaporizhia or Dnipro airports from Kyiv but there are also good regular flights into Dnipro from Vienna, Frankfurt or Moscow. Dnipro airport is less than an hour drive from Zaporizhia.The overnight sleeper train from Kyiv to Zaporizhia is an alternative way to arrive in our city. A small premium will give you a double berth to yourself or make new friends by sharing a four berth compartment.